Security experts, top government officials, and peacebuilding practitioners converged in Jos for a one-day multi-stakeholder roundtable dialogue aimed at reimagining Nigeria’s security architecture, with a focus on community policing as a solution to rising insecurity in Plateau State.
The event, held at Sarau Event Centre, on Thursday 26th June, 2025, and convened by the Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation in collaboration with the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network (PPPN), featured a keynote address by Dr. Solomon Arase, retired Inspector General of Police and former Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
In his address, Dr. Arase called for a pragmatic rethink of the current centralized policing system. He proposed a regional policing model embedded within the federal structure, combining national standards with local knowledge to improve response time and community trust.
“Our reality demands a policing structure that is nationally coherent but locally responsive,” Arase noted. “We must integrate proximity, cultural context, and community trust into policing without fragmenting the national force.”
Arase’s model suggests recruiting and training remain centralized, but deployment should reflect local realities: constables would serve in their LGAs of origin, mid-level officers within their states, and senior officers within their geopolitical zones. Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) would be assigned per geopolitical zone to ensure strategic oversight.
He emphasized the importance of Police Community Relations Committees (PCRC) in every LGA, promoting intelligence sharing and conflict resolution at the grassroots. “Community police must live where they serve,” he said, “and be part of the community fabric, not outsiders in barracks.”
Declaring the forum open, Plateau State Governor Barr. Caleb Mutfwang emphasized the role of elites in shaping constructive narratives.
“Communities that once lived in peace are now divided because of the dangerous rhetoric and misinformation from influential quarters,” Mutfwang said. “Elites must lead the charge for national unity and social healing.”
Reaffirming his commitment to peace, the governor described efforts made in his administration to bridge divides of ethnicity and religion. “I have done more than any governor since 1999 to promote peace and unity in Plateau,” he asserted.
Mutfwang also restated his support for state policing, noting that the Nigeria Police Force, as currently structured, is too centralized to meet the country’s growing security demands.
President of the hosting foundation, The Revd Dr Gideon Para-Mallam, lamented the persistent insecurity in Plateau, especially in rural communities. He highlighted the failure of the current security framework to prevent or respond effectively to attacks targeting farmers, women, and children.
He explained that the forum aimed to evaluate community and state policing models as viable alternatives. “This roundtable is about collective thinking,” he said, “and building local resilience to break cycles of violence.”
Para-Mallam cited reports from the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), which recorded over 55,910 violent deaths in Nigeria in recent years, with Plateau State among the hardest hit.
Arase and other speakers stressed that policing alone cannot end insecurity. “Security is everyone’s responsibility — from the palace to the pulpit,” Arase said. “Women and youth must be engaged as peace actors, and religious leaders must become custodians of harmony.”
He further proposed the creation of Regional Security Trust Funds to enable states within each geopolitical zone to pool resources, relieving the financial burden of independently funding security forces.
The dialogue featured high-level contributions from: Dr. Julie Sanda, Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency, The Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Nanmok D. Bali, President of the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network
Each reiterated the need for a security model that is inclusive, community-driven, and contextually rooted.
The event concluded with the formation of working groups to develop a communiqué containing actionable policy recommendations. Key outcomes include improved stakeholder coordination, deeper civic engagement, and a renewed push for regionally tailored security reforms.
The Para-Mallam Peace Foundation pledged to continue facilitating inclusive dialogues and supporting grassroots initiatives to restore Plateau’s legacy as a Home of Peace and Tourism.